Plague Dogs
by WraithLoverQueen
Summary: Post Defiance. History has taken a new turn now that the Elder God is gone. Races that were wiped out before now are starting to make a comeback, forcing their way back to into the world. All resulting in Kain and Raziel getting trapped in an all out civil war between the growing vampire population and the citizens of the Lost City. No slash or mm
1. Prologue

A/N: I'm not sure what happened here. Idea just popped into my head yesterday, oddly it's the sequel to a crossover fic (songs of sorrow) that's barely starting. Luckily. This can be read as a stand alone story. You'd only need to read the first chapter of the crossover to how Raziel became human for this story.

All rights to their rightful owners.

Plague Dogs

Prologue

_Since my resurrection out of the grasp of the Reaver and into this human body, my travels helping Kain have not been entirely what I call pleasant…_

With a powerful shove from behind, Raziel fell to his knees. A snarl rumbled in his throat as his knees hit the cobblestone floor. Forest green eyes glared up through ebony bangs, teeth bared in anger up at the figure before him as he felt the point of a dagger press against his spine between his shoulder blades.

_Kain is on a quest to secure what little health is left in Nosgoth and possibly heal her a bit. He says that without the Elder God pulling the strings on his human marionettes there is a dire possibility that the humans will end up destroying Nosgoth in a mad quest for power. _

The figure reached down and grasped Raziel's chin, forcing his head up and stretching his neck to an uncomfortable angle.

"Tell me, human… Why is it you reek of the filth of vampires?" Raziel defiant as ever, stayed silent and ignored the figure of power speaking to him. Eyes trained on the one before him; he never saw the slap from the one beside him. A growl escaped him as his head smacked into the floor, colored spots danced in his vision momentarily.

_Though I believe that he had no inkling that this new direction that history was taking would result in a civil war; a horrific bloodbath between the still standing vampires and the diminishing forces of this wretched race… This leads me to believe that he shall be most displeased when he returns to this human city to collect me after his hunt, only to find that I have fallen into the claws of these disgusting animals. Being a prisoner in my own body's weak state as a human was terrible as it was but now I am a prisoner to these slobbering mutts. My future does not bode well in either Kain's hands or the hands of these plague hounds. _

Raziel raised his head, blood dripping into his eyes and his bangs plastered to his face. His head throbbed and his vision blurred, his resolve not diminishing.

"Speak up, human! Where are your revolting masters, little serf…?" Raziel snorted and rolled his eyes, of course this mutt would believe him the slave of some lowly vampire fledgling. His gaze moved to the side as another stepped forward to growl at him.

"You will obey a being that is your superior, wretch!" Wonderful, he had heard that before, although it used to be his own fledglings yelling it to the wretches disobeying him. He sighed, he couldn't believe the mess he was in, he could only wish Kain would return soon before these monsters did something horrific to him.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N:I hate my brain sometimes...

Chapter 1

Kain halted; the dried leaves on the forest ground crunched beneath his feet. He looked behind him; Raziel was determinedly following behind him but was getting sluggish. Being forced into the easily exhausted human body had not been easy for Raziel, he tried to continue like he still the stamina of his other forms but this only tired him out faster.

"What?!" Raziel snapped at his sire, his breath coming out in ragged pants. Kain sighed and looked away, raising his head to gaze up at the darkening sky.

"Nothing. Just that it is getting dark, do you wish to stop for the night? You need to rest." Raziel huffed and straightened up at this, walking past Kain and grumbling.

"I am fine, Kain, let us just continue already." He snappish tone being smothered by his need to yawn. He was exhausted but refused to show the weakness of his human needs, instead forcing his body to its limits to get his point across.

Kain frowned after him; he knew Raziel was pushing himself too much after their return from the other realm. He shook his head; his first born was too stubborn to deal with his current trials with a level head. Making the decision for him, Kain grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away towards another direction.

"Kain, what are you doing?! Unhand me! Where are we going?" The demands were a quick means to cover up the surprised squeak that had escaped him upon being grabbed. He could only hope that Kain hadn't heard the noise he had made.

"There is a human settlement near. You shall rest there for the night."

"Whatever for!? I am perfectly capable of sleeping here if I so need to!"

"Don't be simple, Raziel. It is the dead of winter, you would freeze to death out here; there is no shelter for you. Plus, you need to eat." Raziel growled through gritted as he tried to no avail to stop his progress by digging his heels into the sort earth while he struggled to unwrap Kain's claws from around his arm.

"I refuse to spend the night in a filth-ridden human establishment. Now release me, I am not sleeping with that disgusting species!"

"You are one of that 'disgusting species', it is the safest place for you to rest while I hunt. I shall return in the morning for you. Now cease your squirming, Raziel, you're being childish…" He yanked Raziel into the air by his arm so that he couldn't dig his heels in anymore. Raziel finally pouted and went limp, begrudgingly letting Kain drag him to the small town.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N:Slice of Nosgothian life. Please R&R.

Chapter 2

Kain shoved Raziel over the threshold of the city before slipping back into the trees.

"I'll be back in the morning. Behave and get some sleep."

Raziel sighed as he landed on his hands and knees on the muddy ground. He growled curses back at the place where his sire disappeared as he slowly crawled to his feet and wiped the mud off his knees. As he stood up, he heard the jingle of coins in his pocket; Kain must have slipped him some money as he pushed him. Raziel exhaled and looked around the muddy town; scowling. He really didn't want to be here but like always, Kain was right and he needed a place to stay.

He spotted an inn to the northeast corner of the town's main street. Dusting the mud from his knees, he headed for the inn. On his way, he spotted towns people watching him as they hid in their homes. He shook his head; poor pitiful creatures cowering from the creatures of the night.

~V~

He growled as he stepped into the inn, bombarded by the stench of filth-ridden humans and the slop this establishment called food. He gritted his teeth but forced himself deeper into the building. He quickly identified the innkeeper and headed straight for him. The man, tall, jolly and reeking of ale, greeted him cheerily.

"Good evening, young man! What can I do for you? Food, wine, women?" The very thought of one of those filthy human females touching him made Raziel shudder in disgust. The taste of food was bad enough but to deliberately drink the bitter juice of fermented fruit made him want to retch.

"Dinner and a room for the night is all I require." His voice a low, angry growl that frightened the innkeeper slightly.

"Oh, yes, of course, sir." The man waved a hand to one of his waitresses who quickly scrambled over to them, "Take this man to a table and get him some dinner."

The young woman gave a sweet smile to Raziel as she led him to a booth in the back of the room.

"I'll be right back with your food, sir…" She said softly a she curtsied and quickly left to the kitchen as Raziel slipped into the booth. He watched her disappear before leaning his head back and closing his eyes; resting his eyes yet still attuned to his surroundings. He heard her come back a few minutes later, a tray with a mug, a bowl of stew and plate of bread on it in her hands. She smiled weakly at him as she laid the items out before him, for the first time he noticed the bruises littering her pale skin. He sneered as she turned and left, how could the human mistreat their females like that? Not even someone like Kain was messed up enough to beat a defenceless female, he either let them live or made their death quick but what these humans did was revolting.

His thoughts so trained on her, he didn't notice the man walking up behind him.

"You like her? I can you up a engagement, she has many satisfied customers if you know what I mean…" Raziel jumped slightly at the sudden voice, with a growl he swung around to see the speaker; it was a young man not much older than the girl. He smiled at Raziel as he slipped into the seat across from him. Raziel ignored him and stared down at his food; the stew stank and he swore the bread was starting to mold. He forced his eyes shut, that annoying human was still speaking to him and the "food" made him want to gag; the not-so-clear water didn't help the situation.

"Not much of a talker, are ya, huh?"

"I did not come here to socialize." Raziel stated in a low growl, "If you wish to keep your health about you, I advise you leave my presence immediately." The man only laughed it off and reached for some of Raziel's bread. Raziel slapped his hand away but forcibly threw the hard bread at the man's head.

"Ow. Watch it there, friend, you can put an eye out with this." The man chuckled as he picked up the bread and took a bite. Raziel tried desperately to ignore him and focus on his own stomach's call for food. He looked down at the stew and closed his eyes in disgust a he picked up his spoon. He brought it to his mouth and took the food from it, nearly heaving right there at the revolting taste. How did humans live on this filth!? He forced the mouthful down and went for another spoonful; he needed to eat something though at this point he would have wished for fruit of any kind rather than this.

After ten minutes of forcing rancid food down his throat and listening to his boothmate ramble on he couldn't take it anymore. He quickly stood up; accidently knocking what was left of his stew onto the other man and really not caring. He ignored the cries of protest and continued heading for the stairs, perhaps sleep was the best course of action.

~V~

Three hour later, Raziel lie in bed wide awake and groaning in annoyance. He shut his eyes and stuffed his pillow over his head; if he was lucky maybe he could suffocate himself enough to pass out. Apparently the owner of this establishment was extremely cheap because the walls to him room were so thin that he could clearly hear the couples to either side of his room participating in intercourse. He was extremely glad that since his resurrection he'd had no sexual drive, not even when traveling with Lara, because he couldn't even imagine himself making some of the noises these humans were making.

Sighing in defeat, he slowly sat up in bed. He moved the filthy covers off his thin hips and slipped out of bed. He had refused to remove his clothes before lying down so that was taken care of. He slipped on his boots and buckled them; perhaps a walk would tire him out and maybe the rabbits would be finished by then. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he headed for the door and opened it. He stepped out into the hall and headed for the stairs. His steps were oddly quiet as he headed down the old wood stairs.

He stopped suddenly as he heard a group talking in hushed tones on the main floor.

"The formula is nearly complete. We just need a good test subject, someone strong to see if it'll affect them."

"Good work, Rithin, you shall have your test subject. With this new formula, the vampires won't know what hit them!" Raziel gritted his teeth, what could they possible make that'd harm vampires?!

"Hey! Who're you? Don't you know humans aren't allowed down after moonrise?!" Raziel jumped as the voice sounded behind him. He spun around to see who it was and was quickly grabbed by two large men. The third, who happened to be the speaker, grinned down at him and called to the others, "Rithin, I think I've found your test subject. We've found ourselves a pretty little vampire conspirator…!" Raziel snarled at them but said nothing, these men were not human but nor were they vampires. He did not know what they were but they were much stronger than him. He had no choice than to submit…


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: An update before I head to my first class of the year. Blah! Hope you guys enjoy. God, it's hard writing Raziel's monologue...

Chapter 3

Raziel went limp in their grasp as a means to judge the strength of this unknown species. It didn't surprise him that they could easily hold him up and frog walk him down the rest of the flight of stairs. He sneered as they brought him to the largest and most commanding of the five sitting in the rec area of the inn. With a powerful shove from behind, Raziel fell to his knees. A snarl rumbled in his throat as his knees hit the cobblestone floor. Forest green eyes glared up through ebony bangs, teeth bared in anger up at the figure before him as he felt the point of a dagger press against his spine between his shoulder blades.

"Behave yourself, human…!" The man with the dagger growled as the figure reached down and grasped Raziel's chin, forcing his head up and stretching his neck to an uncomfortable angle.

"Tell me, human… Why is it you reek of the filth of vampires?" Raziel defiant as ever, stayed silent and ignored the figure of power speaking to him. Eyes trained on the one before him; he never saw the slap from the one beside him. A growl escaped him as his head smacked into the floor, colored spots danced in his vision momentarily. Raziel raised his head, blood dripping into his left eye and his bangs plastered to his face. His head throbbed and his vision blurred, his resolve not diminishing.

"Speak up, human! Where are your revolting masters, little serf…?" Raziel snorted and rolled his eyes, of course this mutt would believe him the slave of some lowly vampire fledgling. His gaze moved to the side as another stepped forward to growl at him.

"You will obey a being that is your superior, wretch!" Wonderful, he had heard that before, although it used to be his own fledglings yelling it to the wretches disobeying him. He sighed, he couldn't believe the mess he was in, he could only wish Kain would return soon before these monsters did something horrific to him.

_I have taken a great deal of abuse from both Kain's hand and in his name. A fate I have come to terms with and realize that I cannot escape from even in death, so I accept that I am his servant such as I always have been. But to be degraded and mistreated like I am some common slave to a newly raised fledgling rather than the fallen lieutenant of a vampire lord is just humiliating!_

Rage boiled in Raziel's blood as they treated him no better than the grime that covered the floor. He gritted his teeth against the throbbing headache as he tried to blink the blood out of his eye.

"Worthless is a servant that divulges the secrets of their master…" He ground out through clenched teeth.

_It's revolting to have to speak of myself in such a manner but unlike in my past, I lack the fortitude to withstand another reprimand from these mongrels. Were I to speak my mind now, I do not believe I would be able to pull myself from these soiled floorboards. The blow to my head seems to be worse than I anticipated fore already the world about me is spinning slightly as nausea boils in my stomach. The wretched existence of this form, so weak and fragile, it's horrific and mindboggling. How humans can stand it…?_

The lead figure standing over him frowned and shook his head.

"Forget it, Jameh… Whoever trained this pretty little waif was good at his job. I do not believe he would reveal his master's whereabouts even under torture, he is too strong willed…."

_It is always nice to get a compliment about one's self-discipline but I grow tired of these constant comments regarding the fairness of my new complexion. Upon my travels with Lara, both she and her rival brought forth the subject constantly… I feel as though the only one I haven't heard it from is Kain, for that I am grateful. Woe would be me at the mercy of his jeers._

The figure turned to Jameh, the guard-like man that had smack Raziel into the floor, and nodded to him.

"Take him to Rinth's lab. We need to test this new formula and soon. Every night the vampire forces grow stronger in Nosgoth." Jameh nodded and grabbed Raziel by the upper arm and yanked him to his feet. Raziel had to clench his teeth against the stabbing pain that ripped through his shoulder. It wasn't until he was now being manhandled by these annoying worms that he realized just how gentle Kain had been with him earlier that evening. He glared up at Jameh, who only sneered back and began to drag him away.

~V~

Raziel tried his best to stumble along after Jameh to save his shoulder from further abuse but it was getting hard. The head wound had stopped bleeding but he was still dizzy and the blood had caked over his left eye. Using his good eyes, he viewed their surroundings.

Jameh had dragged him out of the inn and they were now in the dark streets. His eyes scanned the different buildings and the dark spaces between them; what he didn't need right now was a vampire smelling his blood and to come looking for him. Even more so if it was Kain that found him, he'd never hear the end of it if Kain had to come rescue him _and_ he caught cold from being outside. Luckily, there was no sign of any vampires at all as they neared a market. Jameh opened the door and shoved him inside, causing him to collapse from wobbly legs.

_Never before have I been shoved to the floor so many times… Even Kain had the decency to have me thrown into the abyss and not simply shoved. The act is so demeaning…_

Jameh scanned the skies outside before quickly closing the door after Rinth and one other slipped in. He turned around and faced the others.

"Rinth, open the passage. Gin, get that scum off the floor and into the lab. I'm going to secure the perimeter." The two nodded and scurried about their duties.

Raziel sighed in annoyance as Gin took hold of him and pulled him to his feet; he was beginning to wonder if the yanking would ever stop. He had no time to dwell on it as he watched Rinth open up a trap door in the floor, leading down a dark staircase. He was then dragged over to said stairs by Gin and forced to walk down them. Perhaps he could make amends with Kain and keep himself from getting reprimanded too badly by the angry vampire lord if he could figure out what these people were up to.

_How strange it is… One hardly ever wonders about an alchemist's laboratory and yet when one is inside one about to become a test subject for the alchemist, all views change…. This laboratory is dark, dreary and reeks of unknown chemicals and ingredients. _

_I am pulled towards a chair at the far east side and pushed into it. The cold wood creaks as sit in it and its touch makes a chill crawl through my skin. I sit patiently and wait for them to come to me. As I wait, I plan my escape from this place. I guess that I should consider myself blessed that this form is thin and strong like my other ones were fore I see a drainage grate on the floor that I'd be able to easily slip through but they would not. The vertigo has almost calmed completely and I should be able to keep my balance long enough to slip through their grasp and make my escape. _

Raziel's attention snapped back to Gin who was standing guard over him. The larger man was frowning as Rinth came back to them holding a dagger and a small vial filled with purple liquid.

"Hold him, please, Gin." Rinth asked politely as he pulled the stopper from the top of the vial. Raziel grunted in discomfort as Gin's hands clamped onto his upper arms painfully.

"Personally… I don't understand why we have to destroy you humans… You're not that bad…" Rinth commented absentmindedly as he poured the liquid on the blade, making Raziel grit his teeth.

"Sush, Rinth. What is he were to get out? We cannot have him tell his masters our plans…!" Gin growled as Rinth pulled Raziel's sleeve back and brought the dagger's point to the flesh. Raziel kept his mouth shut but clenched his teeth as the dagger sliced into his arm. He forced himself to relax despite the searing pain as the purple liquid meshed with his blood and forced its way into his bloodstream.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: A short chapter that I just wanted to get out for some reason... Blah... I have school tomorrow so I'm going to bed now. Please enjoy...

Chapter 4

Raziel swallowed down the urge to cry out as the burning got worse, it was starting to seep through his whole body. He quickly averted his eyes from the wound to the dagger in Rinth's hand. The two men were talking in some strange language above him; keep them occupied while Raziel urged his mind to form a plan despite the fog of agony he was currently in.

_The searing agony that's ripping through my body is horrific, not nearly terrible as the abyss but humans have such weak constitutions for pain. I am trying to pull a plan together to make my escape to the drainage gate but it's so hard when the pain is so severe that you cannot even think straight… There may be a chance if I get the one holding my arms to release me but that in and of itself is a tricky task. _

His arms were still held tight to the chair, making movement difficult as he forced his pained body to relax and slump in the hardwood chair. Doing so allowed him to slip down and give his lower body more maneuverability. He bit his clan scarf against the pain as he swung his left leg up and back at a fast velocity over his head as he slumped down enough that his back was flat against the seat of the chair. He smirked as he heard a resounding crack when the steel-toe of his boot connected with Gin's jaw; Raziel silently thanked Kain for giving him the armored boots rather than regular ones. A dog-like yelp escaped Gin as he released Raziel in order to take care of his aching jaw. Now free, Raziel brought his legs down and used his arms to propel his out of the chair and onto his feet. He quickly swung around to face Rinth but could only roll his eyes as the man stood there blinking in shock at him. Wasting no time on him, Raziel rushed for the drainage grate. He snarled as he gripped it and pulled, it was heavy but moving. The pain from his wounded arm was making his efforts even harder as he had to push past the instinct to protect his injured limb. With a grunt and one last pull that he put all his strength into, he was finally able to yank of the grating.

"Rinth, you fool, grab him!" Raziel heard Gin yell behind him as he was quickly lowered himself into the drainage pipe, hearing a clatter as Rinth threw the dagger to the floor before trying to pursue. He heard a scrabble as they race towards him but he pulled his arms together and slipped down the rest of the way. He landed on his feet with a splash, clenching his teeth and clamping a hand to his arm as the strain he put on it mate itself know. He blinked in the dim lighting of the drainage tunnel as he heard them yelling back in the lab. He was trying to get his bearings in the darkness but human eyes adjusted so slowly and his head was starting to hurt again. He had to remove himself from there and quickly, it was only a matter of time before they found a way down here to get him. Sighing, he made a hasty decision and hurried down the left side of the tunnel, his hand to the wall so we wouldn't run into anything.

~V~

Raziel gasped for breath as he slumped against the grimy wall, raising a hand to pull down his scarf from over his nose to try and get more air. Icy, stale air forced its way into his lungs, making him cough slightly.

_I feel drained… I presume I've been running around these tunnels for only a portion of an hour and yet my exhaustion is breathtaking. But it is not this that disturbs me, no, it is the fact that I feel overheated, my body aches all over and my heart is beating at a rate that's faster than it should for simply running. I can hear the sound of my blood pumping in my ears and it only makes the pain in my head unbearable. The air catches in my lungs, doing little to ease the burning need to breathe and the heat of my body is most uncomfortable. The world around me is cold, my fingers have gone numb from its chill yet I feel nothing but heat and an annoying thirst for water._

_… My legs are tired and have given out on me; I can feel the icy water seep through my trousers as I kneel here with my head against the wall. The cold feels refreshing yet it makes my body shudder in discomfort. The world feels as if it is spinning and I close my eyes against the vertigo but it does little to help. Breathing has started to actually hurt._

_…After my initial panic at them slicing my arm I began to wonder why they would do such a thing and not simply kill me… But I believe I understand now. That liquid, was not entirely a poison like I first suspected but rather something much more uncomfortable. It was a disease, a pox in liquid form and I was the helpless vermin upon which they decided to test it on…_

_…He heh… I cannot help but chuckle mirthlessly for all I can think about in my current state is for how long and how loudly Kain will rave at me for being so foolish… It's strange… It's rather hard to feel unconsciousness creep up on you when you are surrounded by nothing but darkness anyways…._


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: This was supposed to be the first half of a longer chapter but I felt bad about late posting so I just finished this up and posted it. Raziel, stop being a pain and let me write the story already!

Chapter 5

Raziel jerked awake suddenly as pain shot through his chest. Gritting his teeth, he brought a semi-numb hand up to feel for a wound but found none. Groaning slightly, he pressed his hand to the pain and blinked in the darkness.

_The pain ripping through my chest is horrific and makes it hurt to breathe. I gasp for air as I numbly use the tunnel wall to help me get to my feet but as I inhale it feels like I am being stabbed through the chest once again. The agony makes my head swim and my legs feel like they want to give out once more. I must not have been unconscious for very long, my body feels only slightly stiffer from the cold than when I was last awake and the fever is still present. I can feel it starting to sap what little energy I had recovered as I struggle to start walking down the tunnel again. _

Raziel stumbled onward, the icy water seeping through his boots and making his feet numb. He shuddered as he force stiff legs to carry him onward. He gritted his teeth as he trailed his hand along the wall, a disgusting slimy substance attaching itself to him and seeping through his fingers.

Trying to bring the feeling back into his free hand, he brought it up and slipped it under his clan marker. He pressed his fingers to his chest; the feel of his pounding heart giving him an eerie sentiment, it had been so long since he had felt his own pulse and it disturbed him slightly. He tried to ignore it as he continued on down the path.

He soon came to a fork in the road. He sighed as he felt the parting in the tunnel path. He paused and put out his hand; allowing him to feel a soft breeze blow against the slime that was attached to his skin. He smirked slightly as he felt the breeze and headed to the left. It didn't take long for him to find the exit of the tunnel; he frowned at the grate that secured the exit on the far wall of the passage.

Gritting his teeth, he slipped his numb fingers into the holes of the grating and pushed slightly; it didn't budge. He used this as a sign that it just didn't push out. He hummed softly as he unhooked his fingers and trailed them over the grating, finding evidence in the dim lighting that it needed to be turned in order to unlock it from its place. He knelt before it and carefully examined where the sides of the grating hooked into the wall; which was difficult in the dim lighting. He growled slightly as he trailed his fingers over the edge of the grate, finding ice and rust that would hinder his removal of the metal grill. Pulling his hands away from it, he sat back on his legs to think. He blew warm breath on icy fingers, a foreign gesture after all these years, as he thought over his options.

_So strange is it to feel my own breath once more after all this time but this is a detail I cannot afford to dwell on. I must focus on the matters at hand; though the fever makes me long to sleep once more. The removal of the obstacle in front of me is problematic. The only way to remove it is to turn it but elimination of the ice is troublesome. There is no means to melt it... I suppose I could kick it, causing the ice to shatter by force but that could result in harming my leg in the long scheme of things. The other option that I have is to search for another exit but that runs the risk of me freezing. I do not know if I will return once again if this body fails, nor do I care at this point in my life, but I do know from all the experiences of my previous deaths that the agony of death is something I wish to avoid. I have no reason to fear death but the agony of dying is a sensation I desire to elude at all costs. This all brings forth the reasoning that the simplest solution is often the best; I have to remove the ice._

Raziel sighed as he got his legs out from under him; straightening them out before himself. He bent one knee as he leaned back on his elbows in the shallow icy water. He brought his other leg up and laid his foot flat against the grate. Years of combat training as lieutenant and puzzle solving while chasing Kain had trained his mind to pick out weak points in the ice that'd allow him to move the metal the way he needed. He slowly moved his boot across the crisscrossing metal; mentally mark the places he needed to hit. He nodded to himself as he found them all. He gritted his teeth as he slammed his foot to the first one. The distorted pain jarred his semi-numb leg strangely as the steel-edging of his boot's sole hit the ice full force. He was rewarded for his discomfort by tiny shards of ice being flung into the air as the rest fissured. Seeing that his plan was working, Raziel moved his leg as quickly as he could to do the same to the points.

He let himself give a tiny smirk as all the ice was shattered a few moments later. He slowly climbed to his feet and looked over his work. Having inspected what ice was left over; he slipped his fingers into the grating.

He took a deep breath and used what little strength he had left to try and lift the large circle of metal. He could feel the effort quickly start to sap away as the large plate of metal refused to rise up. He grunted and added a lackluster shove to his effort; his reward was a fruitful one. The metal gave an ear-splitting screech as it reluctantly rose up. He gasped for breath and groaned as he had to keep the grate up while putting in more strength to be able to rotate it to the left.

After a few moments of struggling, he could hear the wondrous sound of the metal unhooking. Still holding it, he gave it a hard shove. The grate dragged Raziel with it as it fell outside the tunnel with a resounding clatter against the stone path under it. He thankfully released it before it could crush his fingers while they were still in its holes.

Raziel collapsed into a pathetic heap on the grate, panting desperately for air to fill his aching lungs. He tried to move to no avail, resulting in him just slumping further against the freezing ground. He moaned in agony; his limbs were killing him, the exertion made his fever feel even worse, the stabbing pain in his chest was nearing unbearable and the headache caused by his head wound from earlier that evening was coming.

Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth as he frantically gasped for air to enter his lungs as he shut his eyes against the pain. He felt like sobbing in frustration but refused. How did humans adapt to be able to live through this kind of agonizing existence?!

A pathetic involuntary whimper escaped his lips as he weakly scrubbed sweat-sticky bangs out of his eyes. He was sick and numb and in pain and exhausted and frustrated and with each passing moment found himself more and more angry with Kain for forcing him to enduring this. Would Kain's abuse of him never end?! Would this dreadful night ever end?! Why couldn't Kain just leave him in the Reaver?! It had to be better than the Hell he was currently in. As this all sunk in, Raziel did something he never thought he'd ever allow himself to do. He sobbed. A single sob; the tiniest, most pitiful sob his body could create. Somebody was going to pay for this; he just didn't know who yet!

~~~~A/N: Well aware one of those last sentences has WAY too many "and"s, it just seemed to fit the mood. Hope you enjoyed the horrible filler...


	7. Chapter 6

A/N:Hi everyone! I'm alive! This update took waaaay longer than it should have. It would have been up sooner if I didn't have so much stupid math homework! But anyways, I hope you enjoy Raziel's suffering. Have fun. It's 4:32 in the morning... I'm going to bed.

Chapter 6

After lying there for roughly ten minutes, drowning in exhaustion and self-pity, he began to grow aggravated in his own wallowing. This line of thought wouldn't get him anywhere; especially not out of the mess he was currently mixed up in. Grunting softly against the pain, he pulled himself to a half-kneeling position. He sucked in a ragged breath, the action forcing stabbing pains to shoot through his chest. Other than clenching his fingers to his chest, he ignored the pain and climbed to his feet. He gritted his teeth and hid his nose under his makeshift scarf as he looked about his surroundings.

_I seemed to have ended up near the outskirts of this town. Something that can be considered an unfortunate affair; as I find myself longing to head back to the inn. These hours that has begun to feel like an eternity has in actuality been quite lacking in length. I can see the moon, partly shrouded in clouds as it is, has only just neared the middle of the sky. Not even midnight has come and gone despite my ordeals. _

_The air is so cold and far from safe to stay out in. Alas, returning to that revolting inn is my greatest choice for survival. It will provide warmth despite the obvious danger that that is attached to it by my pursuers residing there… I see no other option offered to me, I must return to the inn as Kain will not be back until dawn and I really do not have the strength or patience to listen to his angry lecture if I were to leave the town. To the inn it is then… Ugh…. My head is pounding, I feel as if I'm talking in circles…_

He sighed and stretched out his freezing limbs, the icy water in his boots numbing his legs and making them feel as if they were going to collapse from under him. Not really caring if it hurt, he took a deep breath and stepped forward. His legs wobbled a bit but he was pleased to see that they'd hold his weight. Feeling his confidence in his ability to walk grow, he quickly scurried for the shadows. Stealth was not his forte, never had been, but he deemed it necessary if he was going to make it through the rest of the night.

_V_

Keeping close to the walls of the buildings, Raziel slowly made his way through the dark alleys of the town. He glared up at the dark sky as tiny white flecks rained down from it; he really hated snow when traveling, almost as much as he hated swamps. He snorted angrily as snowflakes clung to his ebony bangs; when would this all end?!

He gritted his teeth and pressed himself up against the wall of the alley he was in. At the end of the alleyway was the opening out into a larger street. He could see some men stalking down the street, hunched over slightly and looking around. Fear of being caught made his already racing heart pound harder in his chest. He clenched his teeth against the pain and forced himself to take soft, steady steps around the building.

The inn had been on the main street towards the middle of the town. All he needed to do was make it there in one piece. Stopping suddenly, he swore under his breath as two towns people entered the alley from opposite sides; successfully trapping him between the two of them.

"No humans out after moonrise!" They both called making Raziel groan in aggravation as his hands clenched into fists. He was starting to give up on asking if fate would ever cut him a break. He squinted in the darkness at them as they stalked closer, watching their movements; they seemed uncomfortable in their own skin.

Raziel dropped into a half crouch as he watched them get closer. He was smaller than them, well-muscled and usually had good stamina; he could afford to push his body to and perhaps beyond its limit of physical exertion if it meant his life. They were getting closer, still looking uncomfortable as they headed towards him; he could use this against them.

He used his crouching position as leverage to push himself towards the man to the right. Long legs quickly carrying him towards his target, taking the man by surprise when Raziel suddenly took hold of his arms and used a mix of his momentum and the snow under foot to agilely slip between the man's legs. Raziel let go of the man's arms at the last second and skidded along the snow covered street past the man until his momentum ran out. Grunting softly, he forced his body to at least get into a crouch while his predators looked about in confusion at what just happened. Gasping for breath, he pushed off the muddy street into a fast run down the rest of the alleyway.

Skidding on the snow, he reached out and grabbed the corner of the building closest to him; flinging himself around it. He knew he was going to regret it but he forced his tired legs to keep up the fast run; stumbling and nearly slipping due to slight lack of feeling in his legs and too much snow. He bite back a growl at his ridiculous situation as he wove his way through the absurdly confusing town; a town this small should not have had this many twists and turns. He was just glad all this running was bringing the feeling back into his exhausted body, even if it was only making his fever and vertigo worse.

_V_  
Raziel had made it away from Jameh's scouts, having dodged through grimy alleys and under cracked fences. He collapsed to his knees and gasped for breath; the world spinning. He couldn't understand how his body could hold up against the constant abuse of the night. He sighed and crawled forward down the alley he was in. As he got closer to the end, he heard the sound of children playing. He couldn't understand why anyone would want to play in snow; it was cold, wet and extremely uncomfortable.

He struggled forward to see three young children playing happily in the snow, bundled up in warm fur clothing. He sat in the shadows and watched them; somehow he could tell they were the offspring of the race of people he had been captured by. He squinted at them in the dim light as they began to sing disturbing children's songs revolving around death and plagues. He gritted his teeth as they threw snow in the air and giggled. Their little eyes snapped over to where he was hiding and they smiled, coming over to sit around him in the snow; disturbing Raziel because he was sure they couldn't have seen him.

"Greetings, human…" Chirped the middle child; a girl about twelve years of age. Raziel frowned and pressed himself against the wall, something didn't feel safe about these children; most likely the fact that their parents would be somewhere nearby and could show up at any moment. The oldest, a blond boy with his hair tied back, gently removed one of his fur coats and draped it over Raziel's shivering form.

"You shouldn't be out in the snow with no coat, human. You'll freeze." He said clearly as the last child, a five-year-old girl, climbed into Raziel's lap and smiled up at him. She giggled as she pulled his scarf up over his nose while the boy just smiled and shook his head.

"What are you three?"

"Hehe, we're not allowed to tell that to humans." The middle child said softly as the youngest sniffed at Raziel.

"He smells funny..." It said unhappily and put a tiny hand to where Raziel's sweat-soaked bangs clung to his forehead, "He's really warm..."

"Yama, stop…" The boy pulled her hand down and cleaned it off, "That's because he's sick... See how pale he is? He has the plague that Amaiya's father came up with." Little Yama looked at Raziel then at the middle child.

"Why? He doesn't seem bad? Papa said the Bad Ones had to die, Vakeh..." She sniffled at her two companions as Raziel sat there in confusion but used his weakened state to his advantage; perhaps these children would tell their parents' secrets.

"The Bad Ones are going to die but the humans have to too." Vakeh gently stroked Yama's head and frowned, "The Bad Ones feed on the humans; that's why we have to kill them all... Then we can have the Moon Mother to ourselves and not have to hide from the Bad Ones…" Yama pouted and crossed her little arms, resting her head against Raziel's chest.

"…Still not fair..."

While the others were trying to convince Yama that it was the right choice to kill the humans, Raziel closed his eyes and thought over what he had just heard. The result should have been easy and would have been easy to find if the pounding in his head could let him put two thoughts together; he felt like this headache got worse with each passing moment. It took a good amount of concentration but he finally got his thoughts in order enough to unravel what they had said and the answer made his blood run as cold as the snow he was sitting on. These people had created a plague to kill all of Nosgoth's humans in order to starve the vampires! He had to tell Kain. The genocide of two of Nosgoth's major races had to be one of those "disruptions in balance due to the puppetmaster being gone" scenarios Kain talked about when he had revived Raziel.

He shifted slightly and the children stood up, Vakeh lifting Yama off Raziel's lap so he could get up. Raziel forced himself to stand despite his unsure legs and handed Vakeh back his coat.

"Thank you." He said softly, half thanking them for the coat and half thanking them for handing him the information he needed. The children smiled and were about to say something when they heard their mothers call for them.

"Goodbye, human! We hope the end comes soon to you and without too much suffering!" The three chirped as they ran off home.

"…A little late for that…" Raziel sighed and looked around. Judging by the buildings around him, he was getting close to the inn. He gritted his teeth and rubbed his arms as he looked up, midnight had come and gone by now. He started on his way again, reminding himself he had to make it to at least dawn. He was not going to let Nosgoth crumble because one race wanted to be in charge! He stopped suddenly; the hypocrisy of that train of thought was not lost on him.

_V_

After about ten more minutes of searching, a choked laugh escaped Raziel's throat. There, before him, stood the inn. Never had finding a building been so hard; this whole evening of events had been plain idiotic. Why couldn't he ever have a normal life!? Was that really too much to ask…?

He sighed and looked about; he couldn't see any guards and he didn't really like that fact. That didn't mean he was safe, it meant he had to be twice as careful.

Sticking to the shadows, he easily slipped behind the targeted building. Still no guards to be seen as he spotted some lattice work going up the back walls; used for plants to crawl up it. He closed his eyes and forced himself to put his thoughts together, picking out which of the rooms with the lights on was his. Third from the left on the second floor. That information in mind, he tested his weight on the lattice work. Luckily he didn't weigh much and that all of what little he weighed was all muscle.

The wood and wire would hold him as long as he didn't linger in one spot too long. He scrambled up as quickly as his disobedient body would go. The process felt like it lasted forward, his limbs were so sore and stiff, refusing to move properly.

His semi-numb fingers gripped the wood window sill to his room as he leveled out his weight between it and the lattice off to the side a bit. He snorted at the window and its pathetic attempts to keep him out. His thoughts on the window's hostility towards him disturbed him slightly; windows weren't hostile.

He sighed and punched in the thin wire mesh that made up the screen of the window and hoisted himself inside the room. Collapsing to the grimy floor of his semi-warm room, he laid there and simply rested; wanting nothing more than to curl up and go to sleep. He slowly breathed in the warm, dirty air as he laid his head on the floor, eyes trying not to slip closed. He was so tired, so weak and that annoying need for water and human food tormented his body. He wanted to whimper but refused himself. He had broken down once tonight, he didn't want to do it again so soon.

With a pained grunt, he forced himself to his hands and knees. He breathed in a ragged breath before crawling over to his bed, trying not to think of what things the humans had done in it. He sat back on his ankles as he got his things from the nightstand; his short sword and the art journal Lara had given him.

Needing to relax, he slowly opened the book and flipped through the pages. He looked down at it in interest, its pages filled with sketches Lara had done of the ancient architecture of her realm. He read the notes she left scribbled all over the pages, telling of the historical and cultural significance of each of the places that the sketches portrayed. Her handwriting was beautiful and she always put the facts in her notes, never any wasted words. He frowned and slammed the book shut; this was no time to reminisce.

He groaned and made himself stand. He tied his sword belt around his waist and hooked the book's carrying bag to it behind him. He wasn't entirely sure why he was doing it but he was heading for the door. He was pretty sure he subconsciously had a death wish…

He opened the door and headed down the hall. He gritted his teeth as he looked around the halls; he was being idiotic. He was relatively safe and warm here and he had to go and possibly mess that up by looking for trouble. He had taken on the foolish task of looking for more evidence to give to Kain. The man was annoyingly detail oriented.

He slipped down into the lower half of the inn and searched out the records room. He quickly found it and was rewarded for his efforts. He found letters and documents from different cities full of information that an innkeeper wouldn't need; like battle plans. The Lost City came up a great deal in what little he could read of the letters. Though, his findings were cut short as he heard movement coming from the conjoining room at the back of the records room. He looked up just in time to lock gazes with a surprised Jameh. He blinked stupidly at the commander before bolting for the door that led to the main room of the inn.

"After him, you fools!" Jameh growled to his men as Raziel scrambled for the front door. Raziel could hear the men clambering behind him as he made it to the door. He threw it open and didn't bother trying to closing it, just running out into the main street. A snarl sounded as he was slammed into from behind, knocking him to the snow covered ground. He sat up and turned around in time to scurry backwards as Jameh slashed down at him with animal-like claws on his hand rather than a sword. The claws dragged across the left side of Raziel's chest and into his shoulder. Crimson splattering against white as he scrambled a good ten feet away from the larger man. The commander stalked towards him as Raziel's legs finally collapsed from under him and he fell to his knees; finally too exhausted to run anymore.

"Bats!" One of Jameh's men yelled out, making the commander stop in his tracks and reply.

"Don't be daft! There are no bats near this town!" At this, Raziel looked towards the sky as he held his hand to his wound; his blood decorating the snow around him. A huge colony of bats was flocking towards the town and were almost there. A choked sob of a laugh dragged itself out of his hoarse throat; he'd recognize those bats anywhere. He just never thought he'd ever be so happy to see them.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Finally got this chapter out! A great many thanks to **_Thats-A-Moray_** for all their help with fixing up this chapter and making it seem more Kain-like.

Chapter 7

Kain's bats flocked closer together as they flew over the town; called back before dawn by a strange notion in the back of Kain's mind that something was wrong. As he got closer, the smell of human blood mixed with something else filled the air; almost completely hiding a familiar scent. All these scents coming from the figure kneeling hunched over on the snow; the bats' bad eyesight making it impossible to see who the figure was though. They flew downward, focusing on a central point of ground in front of the figure to revert back into Kain's normal form.

The first thing that Kain noticed once he was done morphing back to his natural form was that the figure behind his leg was indeed Raziel and he was in a terrible state of being. The enticing smell of blood was being masked by the stench of sweat, stale water and an overpowering sickness all coming from the crumpled form of his firstborn. His lip curled slightly at the smell and cast a glare towards the group of men surrounding them as Raziel leaned his head forward to press it to Kain's leg, releasing something that sounded like a mix between a strangled sob and deliriously joyous laugh.

Something about the situation should have been humorous when he heard Raziel humming slightly in his delirium before slumping against Kain's leg in unconsciousness, if it were not for Raziel's state. Raziel's behavior was disturbingly reminiscent of that of a sick child; coming to its parental figure for comfort and safety. That in itself confused Kain as he wouldn't even be on the minuscule list of people Raziel'd go to for comfort or safety. This line of thought gave Kain the conclusion that something was very wrong with this town and its people were far from normal.

Forcing his senses past the nauseating stench of sickness coming from Raziel, he could smell that there was something off about these humans. Their scent was familiar though long forgotten; a distant memory from his past. He'd have to figure that out later, there were other matters to attend to currently.

"What a noble vampire. Coming here just to collect your little waif from our clutches." Kain raised an eyebrow at the man addressing him. The man was large and blood dripped from the fingertips of one of his hands, showing that he was the one that had ripped into Raziel but that made little sense. This man had nails like a human, which were not nearly strong or sharp enough to rip through human flesh deep enough to make a wound like Raziel's.

"Annoying little runt you possess there, Vampire, tight lipped as a hunter's trap, even when being smacked around." It was obvious that this man was trying to coax a reaction out of Kain, judging his self-control and how much he cared for Raziel. He got a reaction but it wasn't entirely one he was expecting.

Kain's lip curled slightly into a smirk for a brief second at hearing about Raziel's behavior; defiant little brat until the end. Though, as the gravity of the situation hit him, unexpected indignation swelled slightly in his chest. Raziel had given everything to save the races of Nosgoth, whether he wanted to or not, and now he sat slumped in the snow; abused by the ones he had saved. Kain's attention went to him, looking him over. Raziel's skin was damp with sweat, he was shivering, and his chest and shoulder were bleeding then there was dark bruising on his face next to a head wound that made it look like he had been slammed into a hard surface.

The man before Kain continued to talk but Kain paid him no heed, only watching him out of the corner of his eye as his mind began to wander. Thoughts about why he had left the little town began to surface in his mind. He would have had no difficulty catching prey in this town rather than going hunting in the larger city he had traveled to. Something had stopped him from staying here and judging by the complete lack of fear coming from the senior warriors around him; it had something to do with them.

Now that he was actually in the town, he could practically taste the arcane energy in the air about them. This tiny detail pointed towards a protection spell, one designed to specifically ward off vampires. Whoever and whatever these people were, they knew their way around a spellbook if they could craft a spell strong enough to affect him and subtle enough that he didn't detect it 'til now.

He could easily beat the answers he required out of the men about him but judging by the scent of blood getting stronger and the unhealthily rapid heartbeat coming from the unconscious lump behind him, he didn't have the time.

Raziel's bad health was causing Kain's anger to stir. Though, he dare not start a fight despite the urge to rip this wretch's throat out for what he had done to Raziel. The time it would take to kill all these seasoned warriors could end in fatality for Raziel. He needed medical attention and soon. Kain would have to deal with his anger a different time.

"As fascinating as you incessant rambling is," He reached down and gently picked Raziel up by his sturdy belt, "My runt and I must be leaving."

Kain simply wrapped Raziel in his empire banner and held him under his arm to carry him; the smell of blood making Kain's head spin slightly with bloodlust. Fortunately, having fed recently and the revolting scent of sickness were keeping him from sinking his fangs into his firstborn. Without another word to the townsmen, he turned to head for the forest again.

Just as Jameh's posture started to relax, Kain suddenly swung around and threw a telekinetic blast at the man; it was the best he could do to release his anger as time was not on his side for once. The force and velocity of the impact slamming into Jameh's chest knocked the air from his lungs and sent him flying several feet into the innkeeper's supply cart. Dazed, he looked up as Kain snarled down at him.

"Keep your filth ridden hands off what is not yours! If ever we meet again, your life belongs to me." Mere seconds later, before Jameh or his men could recover from shock, Kain was gone.

_V_

Kain sat crouched on a large branch in a tree and hissed through his fangs at the cold night air. He needed to find shelter and humans to care for Raziel's wounds and quickly. This new human form of Raziel's, it was a type of weakness that Kain was unused to having to deal with so delicately. His knowledge of human health was limited and would do Raziel little good in this state.

He was a good distance from the town he had picked Raziel up from now. Though, there could be a cause for worry if the townsmen were following him.

His eyes scoured the woods about him from his vantage point high in a tree. Sometimes humans built their cabins in the forests. Such humans would have the many medicinal herbs needed to control their health and at least a general idea on how to use them. This type of human is what Raziel required care from; there was no time to get him to an apothecary.

Kain gave a sigh of relief. There, to the west, was a small house in the woods; hidden behind the trees. The house was far away enough from the town to be separated from them but close enough to have the humans there care for Raziel before he got worse. If they tried anything, Kain could just kill them and find someone else to care for Raziel. He frowned at the sky, usually night never felt long enough but today it felt too long. He despised the brightness of the morning sun but Raziel needed the warmth of the sun's light.

He headed for the house by jumping through the trees, easily landing on their sturdy branches. As he traveled, his mind went over the events of the night. Everything had seemed off everywhere he went. The little town had protection wards and strange people. The large city he had traveled to, to hunt, was being tormented by vampire fledglings. The creatures had been runts; pathetically trained and uncoordinated ones at that. A group of them had attacked him for entering their territory. He had easily put them out of his misery.

The concerning thing had been that they seemed like fledglings that their sires just left to fend for themselves before moving on. What was the point of going through the trouble of making a fledgling if you weren't going to use it? It would be a waste of energy to make one and let it roam around without telling it the things that could kill it. He felt no remorse for the fledglings he had murdered, is they were stupid enough to attack a vampire so much stronger than them then they deserved to die. What concerned him was the fact that vampires were running loose with no sense of leadership. What was wrong with this new timeline? Had everyone gone mad?

He came to a stop in the treetops as he neared the house. He couldn't focus on idiotic vampires at the moment; he had other matters to attend to. He scowled as he jumped down from the tree he had been standing in, the vibration from his landing knocked snow from the tree. Snow was no longer a danger to him but it was always annoying when it landed on his head and got in his eyes, like this snow from the tree had just done.

He shook his head, ridding his head of his crown of ice crystals. He growled in annoyance as he flicked away the snow that had gotten trapped behind his horns. He decided to take his frustration with the whole night out on the door to the house by kicking it in. He smirked slightly, that had actually helped a bit; he needed to relax more, too many things had happened recently.

He patiently waited a few minutes as he listened to the humans scramble out of their beds and rush for the front door. A man and a woman rushed out from different rooms and straight to the front room. The woman squeaked in fear and hid behind the quaking male.

"W-What do want, v-vampire!?" The male demanded, raising a long dagger at Kain. The vampire lord just scoffed and yanked the dagger out of the frightened human's hand; throwing it outside.

"Do not threaten me again, human, or else your life is forfeit." He glared down at them, "I am here to propose a trade, humans. Do not make me regret it." It disgusted him that he had to make a deal with these cowering pieces of filth but humans could be unpredictable if they knew they were going to die. He could command them to care for Raziel but they could simply murder him in his helpless state and there'd be nothing Kain could do to stop them. Humans needed to believe they were getting something for their efforts.

"W-what kind of t-trade?" The man asked, clearly trying but failing to keep the stutter from his voice.

"I require your knowledge of human health to care for one of my servants." Kain was glad that Raziel was unconscious because he'd never hear the end of that little comment, "In return, I shall grant you your lives." He was unsure yet if he actually was going to let them live but might as well let them believe it so he could get what he wanted. He watched the humans blink in confusion and shuffle in discomfort, looking to each other before turning to Kain. The female shivered but stepped forward, wringing her hands.

"W-we accept." She whimpered softly, feet shuffling slightly. Kain frowned down at her and grunted in recognition. He gently held Raziel and un-wrapped him from the soft banner flag, motioning for her to tell him where to put Raziel so he could rest.

"You will treat him properly and care for him." He hissed as he followed them to the male's room and waited as they readied the bed.

"If any harm befalls him while in your care, our treaty is void and your pitiful lives belong to me. Is this perfectly clear?" He demanded as he laid Raziel in the bed, wary of the skittish humans' actions. The humans nodded and the female quickly covered Raziel with the heavy blankets after removing his weapons and Lara's journal while her male companion brought a soft chair into the room for Kain to sit in.

_V_

Kain sat back in the chair set up for him; it was slightly small but tolerable. He closed his eyes while he allowed his body to relax against the soft material and let his mind wander through over more than a millennium's worth of memories while the human's cared for Raziel. He used his superior hearing and sense of smell to make sure the humans didn't try anything foolish. He could hear them worriedly whispering to each other but currently they were quite harmless. He pushed them to the back of his mind, keeping track of them but focusing on his memories. His claws involuntarily began to tap out a repetitive pattern on the arm of the chair that seemed to coax his mind back into deeper memories that were never very important to him and his cause.

He frowned as he continued his search. There were thousands of sights, sounds, smells feels and auras to sift through to find the one he was hunting for. The scent was elusive, every time he thought he had found it only to have it slip away and have it morph into a different scent. It was easier to follow the farther he went back in his mind. He was starting to get frustrated, his search had him grasping for shadows. He was too annoyed and preoccupied to see the pattern starting to form in his head from all the failed attempts; every single scent he had trailed had led to some sort of canine he had come across in his travels.

His mind was growing tired of playing follow the leader; it was too full of issues to dwell on this. This needed to be solved and quick. He picked one more scent at random and followed the mental trail to the source.

Kain suddenly found himself in the body of his fledgling self and standing in the middle of cobblestone street scattered with filth and blood. Moonlight cascaded down, illuminating the street as a chorus howls echoed all around him. Mere seconds after the sound, a massive group of werewolves stalked out from the shadows to surround him and suddenly leapt at him all at once.

Kain's eyes snapped open and he was back in the human's little house. He groaned as the sun's light shined off a metal pitcher and hit him in the eye. He growled and threw a telekinetic blast at the offending object, throwing it to the ground and causing water to splatter across the wood floor. He groaned once more as he stood up, his head hurt, he was stiff from sitting in that chair for so long and his mind was whirling with his epiphany. He pressed a hand to his forehead as he began to pace to get the kinks out of his stiff body.

This was wrong. Those filthy mutts could not be behind this. They were weak and uncoordinated. Could it be possible that changing the timeline changed their livelihood? Impossible. But those fledglings, they were pathetic and uncared for. Unheard of. Something was off with this timeline, something went awry somewhere. But where?! Within moments, Kain's thoughts began to flow in circles then into twisted knots as he tried to find the factors causing the change in the werewolves. The creatures, they had never been so coordinated or skilled in the magic arts. Though, all the questions in his mind seemed to be dwarfed by the one clawing its way to the front of his mind: what were they planning in such a large and well-warded concentration so far from the surrounding area of the Lost City and why?


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_At the end of the river the sundown beams  
All the relics of a life long lived  
Here, weary traveller rest your wand  
Sleep the journey from your eyes_

-Nightwish, _Turn Loose the Mermaids_

"-ewolves draw their power from the mo-! Kain, are you listening to me?" Vorador looked over the top of the book he was reading from to look at Kain. The silver-haired fledgling didn't respond to the demand and Vorador quickly saw why. The younger vampire was sprawled out on the plush armchair; quite obviously asleep. It was normal for fledglings to sleep during the day since they were still new but he knew that Kain's little nap was a protest of boredom rather than the result of exhaustion. Vorador frowned, one ear twitching slightly in annoyance as the freakishly pale fledgling began to snore softly. He sighed, it wasn't even logical for him to snore.

He shook his head and started walking towards Kain. Once he stood directly in front of him, he moved his book next to Kain's ear.

"Wake up." He demanded firmly as he slammed the heavy tome shut. The loud sound echoing so close to Kain's highly sensitive ears that it jarred the fledgling from his slumber, pulling an involuntary yelp from him as he was left startled and disoriented. His disorientation turned to dread as he stared up into the face of an extremely aggravated Vorador glaring down at him.

"Kain, if you are going to waste my time, have the foresight to tell me before I start the lesson." Kain let out a grunt of discomfort as the elder vampire dropped the book onto his lap and turned to leave, "Feel free to read this on you own, I have other matters to attend to."

**_Present Day_**

Kain sighed and rubbed his temples; having forgotten that vampires could even get stress headaches. It was times like these that he felt the most regret about not paying more attention to all the lessons that Vorador tried to teach him. He wondered how he could have been so foolish to not listen to even the most boring ones.

A pang of loss echoed in his chest as he shifted on the tree bough he was lounging on. He had come outside to clear his thoughts, inside stank of humans and sickness; the smell only reminding Kain of how powerless he was to help Raziel.

The means he had used to pull Raziel from the Reaver had left his first born human and unable to be turned. His full vampiric powers lay dormant within him and had to manifest over time before he could use them again. Leaving him unable to use his vampiric healing while Kain was left to watch and wait as Raziel teetered between life and death.

Unneeded stress added itself to Kain's buildup of frustration. He needed a vacation, time to get away from everything. Perhaps a nice killing spree would lighten his mood.

_V_

Shianna fidgeted with the frill of her apron as she sat in front of her stove. Her eyes were rimmed with tears as she whimpered; her eyes constantly darting to look over at the door. She was waiting for that massive vampire to storm back in her home at any moment. The creature frightened her and the fact that it could walk about in the sunlight without harm only made things worse. She regretted ever making a deal with the monster but it was the only way to save herself and her brother. Perhaps the creature would keep up its end of the deal.

She jumped in her chair as she heard floor-boards creak nearby. She frantically looked towards the sound, gripping her apron hem tightly as he heart hammered with fear and anxiety.

"O-oh, Runek. I-it is only you." She sighed in relief and the chaotic emotions quickly began to calm as she saw that it was only her brother coming towards her. He smiled softly and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her.

"How are you holding up, sister?"

"Frightened out of my wits!" She hissed softly, fidgeting slightly as she tried desperately to keep from hysterics, "I-I don't trust that vampire." She swallowed hard and whimpered, waiting a few seconds before taking a deep breath and trying to change the subject.

"How is the man he brought?" Runek shook his head at this and crossed his arms

"I don't know what that vampire has done to him but he is in bad form. The wounds aren't infected but they are deep and his body is exhausted from abuse." He nibbled at his lip slightly and tapped his foot in thought, "Sister, we have a problem. My knowledge from my tutelage under that apothecary only goes so far. If he is going to survive this ailment, then we're going to need a real apothecary." He looked worriedly over at his sister; they both knew that with a need for a true apothecary there was risk that the vampire'd have no more need for either of them.

They were about to discuss a way out of this possible fate but were unable to as their patient began coughing.

_V_

Raziel's eyes slowly blinked open and he quickly realized he was in a dream state. He did not normally dream when this new body slept, usually only when he needed to get his mind off sour subjects that were harmful to his slumber. His body must have realized that it needed to rest so that he'd have the strength to tell Kain his findings. He was starting to greatly despise working under Kain again.

He pulled away from his thoughts as he heard someone humming nearby. He suddenly realized that he was standing on a moonlit balcony with beautiful marble architecture that failed to resemble Nosgothian styles of craftsmanship. The fact that the material it was made of was so smooth and clean added to the disturbing feeling of being out of place.

Raziel looked down at himself; he was wearing a loose tunic and sleeping trousers. While he was wondering why, his focus was pulled from his thoughts once more by the humming. He looked over to see it was a woman with long brown hair; she leaned against the balcony's banister. He was drawn to her calming spirit rather than her beautiful figure barely hidden by her strange clothing. The pleasant sounds she was making to the cool night beckoned him closer. Raziel couldn't remember the last time he had been with a woman or even had the urge to.

He took a step towards her; the feel of icy marble against his bare feet sent a chill up his spine. He smiled softly, the smooth, painless cold felt strangely good. He relished the sensation against his skin as he continued towards her. He knew this woman, he was sure of it, but her name would not form in his mind.

He was now right behind her. He hummed softly in reply to her as his hands came up to timidly touch her bare arms. The shirt she wore covered very little by human female standards. He purred softly at the feel of her delicate skin against his fingertips; pulling a soft chuckle from her.

"This deep sigh coiled around my chest  
Intoxicated by a major chord  
I wonder  
Do I love you or the thought of you?

Slow, love, slow  
Only the weak are not lonely"

The woman sang softly as she laid her head back on his shoulder, eyes slipping closed as her hand gently skimmed up the opposite side of his face to weave her fingers in his hair. She sighed softly as his arms slipped around her slim waist; simply holding her against him. There was no sexual desire to be found in either of them. There was only a desperate need to be held and kept safe from the world that felt like it would crash down around them at any moment.

He smiled softly as she gently pressed her nose to his cheek. Her lips brushed his jaw while she laid her free arm over his and began to hum her song to him rather than the night. He felt happy and safe here, holding her body close to his and not caring about the rest of the world.

When was the last time he had been near someone that he could draw close without feeling like some tragedy could strike at any moment? To be able to let go of his anxiety and anger so that he could relax, to enjoy what goodness he could find in the world.

He leaned against the hand in his hair as he looked out over the beautiful courtyard spanning out across the ground below the balcony. It was pristine and well kept; something hard to find in Nosgoth. Such a place as this was very calming and made worrisome thoughts melt away.

He hummed softly against her touch as his eyes slipped closed. The small smile returned, he could get used to this; having a loving female by his side. It'd be nice to not have to have his guard up every waking moment. Something about this woman he was holding didn't make him feel like she'd turn around and stab him in the back at any moment. Which was something everyone, with exception of Janos, made him feel.

Suddenly, there was a strange nagging in the back of his mind. He found himself nudging her head to the side. He made to kiss her throat but as his lips brushed her skin, he parted his jaws and swiftly clamped them down on her throat. Horror filled him as she stiffened against him, gasping in shock as fangs they both didn't know he possessed sank in. He had never had a problem feeding as a vampire, but as her sweet blood filled his mouth, panic welled in his chest.

_V_

Raziel awoke with a gasp, only to start choking on the blood pooling in the back of his throat. The thick liquid took him by surprise as it hampered his ability to breathe. Panic gave his body the energy to roll onto his side and cough up the offending substance.

He slumped tiredly against his now blood-splattered bedding, trying to pull ragged gasps into tired lungs; his panic and the coughs exhausting what little strength he had. Coughs still racked his weak frame, interrupting his breathing. The pain and desperate need for air distracted him from the two people rushing into his room.

"Sir, are you a-alright?!" A worried female voice called to him. Hazy instincts rather than comprehension of words made him slip an unsteady hand under his pillow, searching for his dagger. He hissed curses when he didn't find it, remembering that he had given to Lara as a thanks for the journal. A mix of anger and anxiety filled him as he realized both his short sword and Lara's journal were missing from his person. His mind hazy and fevered, he turned to the humans addressing him and snarled angrily.

"Who are you and how did I get here?"

Shianna and Runek blinked in surprise at his attitude. They had heard that vampires' slaves were always timid and broken, but this one had an extremely bad attitude; he must be special to his master.

"Your master requested that we help you because you are unwell." Shianna offered gently, smiling softly.

At the words "your master", the man before them went incredibly stiff and they could practically feel the anger rolling off him. He bared his teeth and gripped the blanket tightly, a growl rumbling in his throat.

"M-master? That's what he said he was?"

"W-well, not that exact word but he said you were his servant." The intense look of pure hatred the man gave made Shianna and her brother step back.

"Kain! How dare he claim that title, that miserable bas-!" He was quickly cut off by another coughing fit. Shianna rushed to his side, gently touching his shoulder while pouring a glass of water.

"P-please, sir, relax. You are very sick. We urge you not to summon your master back in our home.

"Stop calling him that!" He slammed his fist down on his pillow before coughing again, "He has lost the right to that title." Her patient raggedly choked out as she brought the glass to his lips, urging him to drink. After a few mouthfuls, he groaned in exhaustion and collapsed against the bed; gasping for air. Shianna frowned and stroked his long hair gently; she didn't like the condition he was in. She turned to her brother with a pleading look.

"Runek, he'll never survive like this, he needs an apothecary." Her brother sighed and nodded before leaving to find the vampire. The vampire was the only one to fetch the medicine man fast enough.

"Just relax; we're going to get you some help." Shianna said soothingly as she gently rubbed his back. She frowned as she felt him flinch violently when she stroked along his spine but he was too drained to stop her; making her wonder what that monster had done to him. She gently pulled her hand away as touching his back was only stressing his body out more, instead she gently rubbed his arm.

She softly smiled down at him, trying to reassure him. She took one of his hands in hers, rubbing comforting circles on the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Hello there, my name is Shianna." The man's dulled green eyes turned their gaze on her as he slumped deeper against the pillow under his head.

"R-Raziel." He was barely able to croak out the word before passing out again.

~~~~~~ A/N: This took waaaay longer than it should have. This is just a little filler chapter to give the characters a little break. The song the woman's singing is Slow Love Slow by Nightwish.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Kain feels rather off in this.

Chapter 9

The hazy feel of sleep surrounded Raziel and he felt it transport him to another fever dream. He sighed as his feet hit solid ground and he rolled his shoulders back. An icy breeze blew and brushed against his face, biting through his clothes; it sent chills down his spin. Goosebumps made his arms feels strange but he tried to ignore it as his eyes slowly slid open. The sight his gaze fell on made his heart freeze.

Walls of icy cliffs dusted with beautiful snow surrounded his current location. Frozen, crumbling platforms littered the iced-over lake that made up the landscape far below the balcony he stood upon. The light of the sinking sun cascaded down and painted the world around him in warm, comforting colors. It was beautiful and welcoming, yet filled his heavy heart with dread. He knew the true nature of this wonderland and it only added to the pain in his chest. He swallowed hard at the lump growing in his throat and tried to hide from the agony in his heart.

Swirling flakes of ice caught his gaze. He watched them drift by in playful twirls. His mind clung to the little dots of white, desperate to not have to turn around. Desperate to not have to face the hurt that awaited him, but running was not an option that Raziel took often. And, was not a moment of pain worth several moments with an old friend?

His eyes slipped closed and he slowly took a deep breath. The clear mountain air tasted sweet and clean. It was just like he had imagined it would be, or perhaps it was because he had imagined it; though such thoughts simply did not matter. It was relaxing; it soothed his anxiety and cooled the burning ache in his chest. His sickness was of little concern here.

He opened his eyes and couldn't help but chuckle at how strange the snowflakes looked as they clung to his ebony bangs. The stark contrast was natural but still managed to make him laugh for some reason. He despised snow but somehow, in this place, it made it feel like home. Perhaps that is what made him laugh; nowhere felt like home nowadays.

That simple moment of reflection calmed him enough to turn around. A pang of loss resounded in his heart as he viewed the large room before him. Memories from his first, and his last, visit to this place echoed in his mind but he forced them away. Instead, he turned his troubled thoughts to the elegant chair that was sitting a bit off to the left. A familiar figure, guarded from the cold by raven-colored wings, rested in the plush-looking chair.

He smiled, shaking his head as he headed over to his slumbering companion. With his dark thoughts pushed into the back of his mind, walking through the room of icy marble felt nicer than it would have otherwise.

A sense of peace settled on his mind as he began to look around the room as he walked. He hadn't had the time to get a conscious look at the beautiful craftsmanship the last time he was here. Apparently he had stored the lovely details deep within his heart. He had to admit, it was astoundingly beautiful. Everything clean and shimmering, speaking of a guardian that was both loving and had too much time on his hands. He wished he had the time to stay and sketch out the stunning details but it was rude to keep his host waiting, plus he wouldn't have the sketches in the real world anyways.

He finally stopped in front of his companion and slowly lowered himself to one knee on the frozen floor. He gently parted the ancient's wings and picked up the book off his lap; so he wouldn't drop it when he awoke. A detail that he realized mattered little in the reality of a dream. Ignoring the thought, he carefully laid the ancient tome on the smooth floor before softly patting his friend's hand.

"Janos?" He called softly. Despite knowing that this was only a dream, it just felt cruel to jerk awake the memory of one of the few people he held dear. He smiled softly as old golden eyes slowly flickered open, "Good evening, Janos." The ancient blinked tired eyes as he tried to focus while Raziel stood up.

"Good evening." Janos covered his mouth as he yawned before sitting up in his chair. He smiled and offered the seat next to him to Raziel, who gladly took it, "You are looking well, Raziel." The memory of the ancient obviously pleased to see Raziel in a body rather than a disfigured remnant. Could that be a subconscious glimpse into Raziel's thoughts about his restored body?

"Thank you. I was given a new body upon being revived; it's just taking a bit of getting used to." Raziel explained softly. Talking to the sleepy ancient making him feel strange, like a pleasant yet disturbing sense of happiness. His mind kept bringing up reasons why having a perfectly normal conversation in a dream with a dead man was ludicrous. Raziel personally didn't see it that way; you could do anything you wanted in a dream, right?

"It's wonderful to see you whole. I was worried that you would be stuck in your other form." Most personal thoughts about his own self? "But now, there are other matters at hand. I was starting to worry you wouldn't show, Raziel." The ancient's soft voice drew him away from the argument he was having with his brain.

"You were? Why?" He gave his companion a strange look as his brain was telling him that a dream couldn't worry about such things. That this whole arrangement was preposterous, that he should just wake up and get his information to Kain.

"We have a matter that is very important to discuss. I had feared that perhaps your fever had lulled you into a state of sleep far too deep for dreams." Janos replied as he stood to stretch tired old bones; wings unfurling fully to get the kinks out. Raziel's brain reasoned that it was simply his subconscious taking on Janos' form, a form he would trust and listen to, so it could talk to him. That was logical, right? But were dreams ever really logical? Was he over thinking this?

"What would that be, Janos?"

"The danger that Nosgoth is currently in."

"Danger? You mean the plague that town constructed?" Raziel asked hopefully, not wanting there to another disaster at play.

"Yes and no. The plague is a great deal of the problem but there is another." Raziel gritted his teeth at this. That was not the news he wanted to hear.

"I don't remember finding that in the notes I read."

"Where the information comes from is not important right now, Raziel." Janos folded his wings again and turned back to Raziel.

"Then what is the important part?"

"A name: Lunegaris. You must tell it to Kain so that he can research it while you rest." Janos smiled softly, "It's very important for you to get plenty of rest so you can recover properly."

"Lunegaris? What a strange name. Whose name is it?" Raziel's confusion was getting worse with everything Janos said.

"It's a d-!" Janos stopped talking, suddenly hit by a dizzy spell. Raziel hurried to his feet and rushed over to catch Janos as he collapsed. His strong arms wrapped gently around him as the ancient's legs gave out. None of it made sense. Why would his mind do this to the dream Janos?

"Are you alright, Janos?" Panic filled him as he helped the vampire to his chair, kneeling beside him to make certain he was alright. The ancient held his aching head and gently took Raziel's hand; trying to reassure him.

"I am confused, Janos. How can a figment of my imagination be sick?" Raziel asked softly, checking his friend over for injuries. He could not find any physical damage to the imaginary vampire's body but it did little to ease the worry that Raziel felt.

"Figment…? Ah, yes, perhaps that explains how I came to be here. Raziel, my apologies, I cannot help you anymore." He frowned, a concerned look in his eye, "You must leave, it's time for this dream to end." He smiled softly at Raziel and gently patted his hand. His words were confusing Raziel even more. He knew this was a dream but even for a dream it didn't really make sense. His head hurt too much to thinking all these things through.

"It was wonderful seeing you again, Raziel. Please, take care of yourself." Raziel clenched his jaw, teeth gritted as the world around him hazed over and started to turn to ash. It dissolved before he even got the chance to say goodbye and suddenly the pain in his heart was back as he drifted deeper into sleep.

_V_

Raziel blinked awake slowly, his sense of loss coming back. It was like a tightening in his chest, a frozen vice upon his heart. It left a dark shadow in his thoughts, filling his mind with sadness. He sighed and gingerly rolled onto his back. He felt lonely and slightly lost as he relaxed into the feather mattress.

He was grateful not to have woken up drowning in his own blood this time. Not waking up in a panic was a pleasant feeling, though he disliked how this dream had ended too. It did not ease the pain in his heart, instead worsening it slightly.

He turned his head to face the door and coughed softly. There was a horrific burning pain eating away at the muscles about his ribs, causing each breath to be agony. A slight taste of copper teased his tongue, though it felt a bit more welcome this time around. It was familiar, and though unhealthy, it was disturbingly comforting in his situation of uncertainty.

A frown slipped onto his face as he realized how blurry his vision was. He could make out shapes and figures but they were warped. Looking at them made his head hurt but he found that he could not pull his eyes from his human caretakers. He could see them hard at work in the next room over from his. He could not see the activities they were preforming, only their figures painted in the light of the mid afternoon sun. Raziel suddenly realized he had slept half an entire day away; it felt strange and unproductive.

_I still find myself worrying about the Janos in my dream. Why had he been so sick? Was he actually been my own mind trying to warn me of the dangers on my condition? Dreams are so queer. Holding all the knowledge of the subconscious mind but refusing to plainly speak its secrets. That being said, I do believe that Janos' weakness was mirroring my body's own deterioration due to this plague._

_I-I had not realized the full extent of my own sickness. It seems as though my mind is warning me with Janos' form… The mind… So strange a thing. Perhaps I should slow down a bit… Rushing while sick will only worsen my condition._

Raziel slowly blinked blurry eyes as he contemplated his realization. He sighed and rolled on to his back, gazing up at the bleak ceiling. He moaned softly and closed his eyes against the dizzy spell that hit him. He clutched a hand to his burning chest and tried to take slow breaths.

He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth. Chills racked his body yet he also felt too hot to have the covers on. The muscles in his arms and chest felt like they were on fire and lethargic. The simplest of movements sent waves of agony through him. Trying to get away from the pain, Raziel slipped into his only escape: his mind.

_I've always had mixed feelings about dreams on the few occasions that I've had them. Depending on their nature, they can be the cause of a jumble of different emotions. After these most recent ones, I feel disturbed to think about having another. They had brought forth so many wonderful, calming emotions, but then they were snatched away at a moment's notice. I guess life is very much like that, full of happiness that can be torn apart suddenly. _

_But is this all that I am good for? A few moments of happiness before it is torn from my grasp and I'm forced to wade through the agony that is the rest of my existance. Is this what these humans suffer every day? A sea of mental and physical agony they call life with miniscule islands of peace and happiness? Is that what life is?_

_As I lay here, pretending to sleep, I watch these two humans through hazy vision. They go about their lives in relative peace but every time they hear the slightest sound from outside, a sound that could be announcing Kain's return, they cower in fear. They constantly fear that he will beat or slaughter them. His very presence torments them and steals their peace…_

_This is not living! People should not live in constant fear of tyranny. I am no stranger to suffering, and my time spent with these different groups of free humans has shown me what life is supposed to be, what I sacrificed myself for. It is freedom; the freedom to live with peace of mind and only a miniscule fear of tyranny. _

Raziel took a deep, pained breath as he closed his eyes once more. The room was spinning too hard to force his tired eyes to stay open. He let his thoughts drift back to his dream. Janos had mentioned a person by the name of Lunegaris. To his knowledge, Raziel had never heard of such a person. Who were they and why would they be a problem? Could he really trust advice he had gotten from a dream? He sighed; he'd have to discuss the subject with Kain upon his return.

He gritted his teeth and clenched a fist around his sheets. He was beginning to feel that little to nothing had changed about his life. That parasitic squid was now gone, but when all had been said and done Raziel was still in the servitude of Kain. Gallivanting around and pretending to save Nosgoth until his sire's revolting sense of ambition to rule recovered.

The past had shown Raziel just how beautiful Nosgoth could be. She had been so lush and full of life. She had been filled with cool, clean air, thriving green vegetation, and beautiful birds to fill the breeze with lovely songs. Could he really condone her death at Kain's filthy hands once more? Did he even possess the skill and cunning to outwit Kain? Could he actually hope to stop the des-!

"Raziel? Sir?" Raziel's eyes snapped open as the words interrupted his train of thought. The human woman, Shianna, stood before him and looked a little startled at his reaction time, "T-time to wake up." Raziel frowned, humans were the reason he was in the shape he was in. He had no wish to talk to one of the filthy creatures in his current mood. He could feel their pain and their suffering but that did not mean he held a wish to converse with them currently.

"I am fine, my thanks to you." He replied before closing his eyes again, he was trying to block out the nauseating dizziness that was overtaking him. It made his stomach churn uncomfortably despite what small amount of food resided in him. Slow, steady breaths did little to keep the bile from seeping up his throat.

He rolled onto his side, leaving his back exposed to her. Under normal circumstances he would never have done something so reckless, but as of now she had nothing to gain from harming him. He was using the act to cover up his lie. He felt horrendous. His fever made his body fluctuate between being severely overheated and having a bad case of chills. The majority of the time the room felt like it was spinning and the burning ache stabbing into his chest, hindering his breathing, had failed to disappear. He longed for the superior healing abilities of his vampiric form.

His mind was drawn from his thoughts once more as he felt Shianna gently sit beside him on the bed. He stiffened involuntarily as she leaned close and reached an arm over his side. He had not realized the sense of panic that would fill him upon someone as harmless as this woman coming so close to his back. Though now undamaged, phantom pains shot through his back when others drew near enough to touch it. The pains, and their accompanying panic, often cause his body to unconscious guard his back.

He felt a need to push her away but his exhausted body refused to comply. A sense of discomfort filled him as she lovingly placed her palm to his forehead to feel his temperature. Raziel was not fond of being touched, and being so unfamiliar with kindly touches like the ones he was receiving only unnerved him further. Though, he had to reluctantly admit, the touch of her cool hand against his fevered skin eased the tension building within his anxious muscles.

She tut-tutted softly as her fingers brushed his hot skin. She pouted slightly, not liking what she was feeling. She gently rubbed his shoulder with her other hand in a reassuring manner.

"Oh dear… You're still quite warm." Shianna commented in a sisterly fashion as she moved her hand up to gently pet his sweat-dampened hair, "Let me get you some broth to drink. It'll help you feel better." The touches were found to be oddly soothing and Raziel felt his body relax against his will. He felt slightly upset when she pulled away to get up. This entire situation felt all very new to him and he hated to admit it but it was rather enjoyable to be treated with such kindness by this gentle human.

_V_

The distance between the humans' house and the large city of Schnee Segen was blanketed in miles of trees. The vast snow-covered forest provided proficient shade for Kain's bats as he flew. It would be quicker to fly over the trees but the sunlight was strong enough to damage the eyes of his sensitive bats and disorient them. A single wrong turn from a disoriented bat could throw off the direction of the rest of the colony.

It took him some time but he was finally close enough to hear aspects of city life grow louder as he neared his destination. He focused his bats on a central point in the forest near the crumbling wall of the city. They flocked together and began to morph back into his original shape. This left him standing right behind the last layer of trees between him and the city.

He silently crept forwards, avoiding branches or simply moving them out of the way. He needed to check the status of the city's daytime defenses to calculate what kind of delay they could cause him. It was only midafternoon, meaning the humans would not go inside to avoid the fledglings for some time. If they spotted him during the day it would cause panic and slow him down; he could not let that happen.

These thoughts drifted through his mind as he searched out the guard. Upon finally spotting him, he was sorely disappointed and could only sneer. The humans had a poor excuse for a guard; even human trespassers could get past. The man sat with his back to the forest as he played a game of cards by himself. He was completely unaware of the multitude of dangers he opened himself up to.

Kain stepped out of the trees and stalked towards him quietly. How easy it would be to kill the wretched human but that could cause problems in the long run. He would need to usher the human apothecary out of the city by horse. If the humans found their guard murdered they would be in a panic and he'd not be able to get the healer out as easy as he would otherwise.

His mind made up, he simply slipped past the unobservant guardian and into the city. Doubts of the man's survival for much longer drifted through his mind as he stepped into a nearby alley. He stopped in the shadows of two decrepit looking buildings and brought up a mental map of the city. He had noticed a great deal of it on his last trip here and now just had to figure the best course to take to the apothecary.

His course soon charted mentally, he began his trek through the city's disgusting alleys. There was filth everywhere he looked. It disgusted him how humans could just let the revolting refuse build up and simply leave it there. Sludge lay in clumps along the edges of the alley as well as leaving a gritty, paste-like film over the cobblestone streets. Slime left a sticking residue over the walls, the rotting corpses of vermin and occasionally even humans turned puddles of melting snow rancid. The levels of filth converged together to form a horrific stench.

"Blessed Snow…" Kain picked up a handful of the foal slush and let it seep through his talons, "I beg to differ.."

The smells turned his stomach and made him snarl in revulsion. Only within the slave pits of his empire had a scent come close to smelling so uniquely foul like this but those humans had a reason to smell that way. What was the reasoning of these free humans to live so revoltingly? He did not believe that he would ever understand a human's means of reasoning.

Needing to break from the concentrated gathering of the stench, Kain leapt up onto the balcony of an old abandoned building. From this height, fresh air could get to him and wash away the smell. The thought of going down there again made him cringe in revulsion.

He avoided the subject for a few minutes longer so that he could look out over the city. He squinted against the bright sun and focused on the large buildings that rose above the others. He could see a large building crafted from metal and wood that would more than likely be the city's main apothecary. Though, the building next to it truly caught his eye. It was an old and marvelously crafted library. That would be just full of books of history and different types of charts.

In Nosgoth's past, though not as much of a threat as vampires, werewolves were thought to be hunted into extinction. With this new twist of history their race was creating a comeback. Though they had not called war outright, it could be their only action for moving in such large concentrations outside of the Lost City. When they had attacked Raziel, they had done it out of more than just spite of him supposedly being a vampire's servant. They had hidden motives and they were trying to keep Raziel from telling him something, meaning whatever they had planned could be disastrous to Nosgoth.

He needed charts of the moon's movement. If he was to fight werewolves then the moon's course had to be followed carefully so he could plan around it. He was not proficient with reading such things but Raziel had many strange hobbies, perhaps he could read them and chart the day of the next full moon. They could simply wait for the moon day by day but he had no idea of the werewolves' plans. If they truly did have plans like he suspected then he could only imagine they would take place on the night of the full moon when they were strongest.

_v_

Kain soundlessly sank into the shadows of the alley next to the apothecary. He snarled and laid his head back against the cold stone of the building. He hissed through gritted fangs as he let his _beguile_ spell dissolve. He was trying to get over the sheer mental agony that had been traversing through the city. He had forgotten how incredibly nosy free humans could be.

He had decided to simply shroud himself in an illusion and just walk straight through the streets. This had been a mistake, a miscalculation on just how prying human nature was. He had been stopped every few moments by a human then bombarded by questions about who he was, where he came from and so on. He had simply pushed past them and carried on his way for the majority of his journey through the city but they refused to leave him be. It had grown to such a level of ceaseless annoyance he had finally snapped and gave into instinct. He simply slaughtered the last five or six of the vermin that pestered him, throwing their corpses in the alleys to rot with the rest of the filth the city had built up.

He straightened up and turned towards the door. He glared at it, a barrier of wood between him and the thing sought. He was tired of this little game of charades, pretending to be something he wasn't just to save time. In the end it had only been more of a hassle and not worth the effort. Whatever resistance he was faced with from this point on, he'd just deal with it.

He strode up to the large oak doors. A loud cracked sounded as Kain's foot came in contact with the solid wood. The angry force behind his kick caused the wood holding the hinges to splinter. He gave the door another shove, it swung open and rested slightly off kilter.

He snorted in contempt as the guards piled into the foyer of the apothecary. They were shocked to see a monster striding across the floor towards them, their armor clattering awkwardly with their fear upon seeing him. Their angry shouts echoed off the smooth stone walls as they tried to raise each other's courage.

They had to be given credit for their courage to hold their ground despite their intense fear. Though, their strength of will failed horribly against the might of Kain's physical strength. Four poorly trained guards against the vampire lord only managed to slow down their demise slightly. Their encounter amounted to barely a scuffle rather than a battle.

The guards attacked in pairs. As the first pair charged at Kain, he smacked the first aside and focused on the second. He interrupted the second's downward swing by reaching out and grasping the guard's throat. Surprise knocked the sword from the young man's hand seconds before his neck gave way to Kain's gasp.

The second pair watched in horror as the guard collapsed to the floor. Despite this, they tried to attack to the best of their ability as the first guard finally got back into the battle.

The first guard swung his sword in anger. Kain brought forth the Soul Reaver, easily blocking the swing, as he blocked one from the third guard. The first guard was once more knocked back, this time from the force of his sword hitting the sturdy Reaver. Kain grabbed the blade of the stunned third guard's sword and shoved, ramming the hilt back into the young man and knocked the air from his lungs. While he stumbled to recover, Kain pulled him close and sank his fangs into the guard's throat.

Kain threw his corpse at the fourth guard before turning on the first and slashing down at him. The guard was barely able to block and became stunned by the blow, allowing Kain easy access to stab him through. The Reaver effortlessly slipped through flesh and bone; happily taking its fill from the dying guard.

Kain turned and sneered at the last guard, who was paralyzed in terror. He walked up to man, swiftly snapping his neck before sheathing the Reaver once more. He paid no heed to the bodies at he stepped over them, heading for the stairs leading to the apothecary labs.

Beyond another set of doors, Kain found a young apothecary apprentice. He moved closer and grabbed him by a fistful of hair.

"Tell me, boy. Who is the greatest of your order?" He growled, glaring at the young man. The teen stared up at him in horror, barely able to stammer out a few words.

"T-thulmyth M-mand-drake, S-sir…."

"Good boy." Kain made the obedient boy's death swift and mostly painless before heading off in search of his target.

_v_

Claws dripping blood and his hunger more than satisfied, Kain strode proudly into a room near the top of the apothecary tower. Before him, a red-haired man about thirty, stood hard at work. He wore an apothecary's rope; the sash of an expert around his waist. He was working at a table used for mixing herbs.

Hearing Kain stride into the room, the man sighed and shook his head. He placed his hands on the old wood before addressing Kain, not turning to face him.

"Would I be right in assuming all my apprentices are in the land beyond, Vampire?"

"That would be wise, though I believe not all are gone as of yet, Apothecary."

"What hope is there for the future if all the young are killed?" The human sighed as he dragged his fingers through his long hair before turning to face Kain. The hand not tangled in his hair fidgeted at his thigh as he looked Kain up and down. The creature before him was massive and intimidating, not a good combination for a simple apothecary to face.

"There is no hope for your future, Human." The man frowned slightly at this as Kain came a bit closer, "Tell me, Human? Are you Thulmyth Mandrake, the master apothecary of this city?" Kain could smell the human's fear and sense his uncertainty about the vampire lord's visit. The vampire lord hoped the man's discomfort would not hinder his ability to come compliantly; issues could arise if he had to take the apothecary by force.

The man swallowed hard at the entirely too short of a distance between him and the vampire but stood his ground, crossing his arms over his chest, "Yes, that is I." Thulmyth nervously blew his bangs out of his eyes, his gaze not leaving Kain's intimidating form. The vampire's ever so slightly pleased look disturbed him greatly, making him ill at ease, "What brings you to my apothecary, Vampire? Surely one such as yourself has not fallen ill and in dire need of a human's help." The look on Kain's face told Thulmyth he was pushing the limit of the vampire's nerve but instinct told him that the vampire's reason for seeing him would keep him safe. An urge to test the limit of the vampire's control jabbed at his mind. His life hung in the balance just by the monster being in his room, what would be the hurt to see how the odds fared for him?

"Do not mock me, Human. I require your services to heal a human servant." Thulmyth's eyebrow rose at this and a smirk slipped onto his face. If the vampire had a great need for him, perhaps luck was with him in this endeavor. The odds of his life being spared were higher than he had hoped.

"My word. She must be quite the helpful servant to receive such care and generosity from a monster such as yourself, Master Vampire." He snickered as Kain ignored the comment, simply moving onto the details of the matter.

"They are too ill to be moved and must be cared for soon. You will be coming with me to heal them."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then I will drag you there by your hair." Kain snarled and took an intimidating step towards Thulmyth, who held his ground steadily despite quivering slightly in his robes. Kain stepped up to him and grabbed him by the front of his robe, baring fangs at him, "Do not test my patience, Apothecary. You are coming by your will or not. I wish not to hurt you but you are testing the limits, Human. For the assurance of your wellbeing, I can only suggest that you comply to accompany me. Hurrying would be in your best interest. Your resistance will not aid you." Thulmyth's lack of compliance was starting to make Kain's patience wear thin and it could be heard in his voice. Kain did not often restrict his actions around humans, never seeing a reason to not simply kill them if they angered him. He found himself wary of his own thinning patience; he could not afford to harm the human in a moment of rage.

"Stop with the threats, Master Vampire. You wouldn't dare hurt me. You need my services; otherwise I'd be carrion by now." Thulmyth laid his hand over Kain's claws, suddenly becoming all business, "But I must know, just what would I get in return for my services, Master Vampire? You claim that I will not be harmed and that you will not take my life from me. So, what then? A life of servitude?" He swore he had a death wish as he snorted and glared into Kain's golden eyes. Even though Kain's face was calm, Thulmyth could sense the vampire's anger from the tensing of muscles. It was quite obvious that Kain was not accustomed to such backtalk from humans and it did not sit well. Thulmyth did not like this situation either but being a slave was not an option for him, there was too much to be done.

"If you wish for me to accompany you, you're going to have to give me a little more incentive because I find you just the tiniest bit untrustworthy." Kain clenched his jaw in anger. Would this lowly human really risk causing Kain's patience to snap just to get a bargain out of Kain? He glared at the man, who only simply glared back, "Your promise not to harm me seems a tad unbelievable from someone such as yourself, Master Vampire."

"And just what is this incentive that you seek, Vermin? Money for your services, perhaps?" Kain's suggestion made Thulmyth scoff softly and shake his head. The sound slightly stirred the anger Kain was stuffing down, another sound like that could cost the man his life before they even left. Neither of them wished that to happen.

"What use is money to a slave, Vampire? No. I seek a grander prize."

"And just what might that prize be?"

"Simple." Thulmyth clicked his tongue slightly, "I want my life."

"I have already granted you this. Why ask for it again?" Thulmyth smiled softly at this and shook his head once more.

"No, Master Vampire. When I ask for my life, I ask for the ability to live my life freely. Life is not living unless one is free." He gently unclenched his hand from around Kain's talons and simply rested in the monster's grasp trustingly, "My freedom is my price for my services. Do you agree to my terms, Master Vampire?" His gaze softened, he hoped that Kain would agree. He did not wish more harm to the vampire's servant but also could not simply go along without insurance.

Kain thought it over for a moment. The price was more than reasonable; there was no harm to come from giving the human his freedom. He had hoped to keep the apothecary around in case Raziel did something idiotic and got hurt again but they could always return if that happened.

"You have yourself a bargain, human. I will grant you your freedom." He gently dropped Thulmyth on the ground, "But, only if you manage to cure my servant. Do you understand? Fail to do this and all bargains are forfeit." Thulmyth clicked his tongue as he thought it over. The odds of him getting a better offer were not in his favor. He sighed and nodded as he got up.

"Agreed. But," He held up a hand as he dusted off his robes, "We have another matter to discuss." Kain frowned at the notion. What more could they have to talk about?

"What matter might that be?"

"A little matter of compensation, Sir." Thulmtyth crossed his arms and stared up the vampire.

"Compensation? Whatever for?"

"For my apprentices. You've just slaughtered students of great potential and wasted years of training." His tongue clicked as he fidgeted, mentioning such things made him nervous. He didn't want to anger the vampire but he couldn't just let this go, "I believe I deserve compensation to make up for the mess you've created, Master Vampire. Now, you can either pay for the losses or you can apologize. Whichever is easiest for you."

Kain sneered softly at the options. He was not sorry for the lives he had taken and would not apologize for his actions. That being said, he had only one option left. Their little compromise had gone this far, a handful of compensation would not hurt the situation.

"Before I agree, just what do you consider compensation for such losses?" Kain rolled his shoulders back and stared down at the human. Thulmyth only smiled slight and slipped his hands into the pockets of his robe.

"I do not believe it to be too severe. I only wish for a bit of money, just enough to hire new apprentices once I return. I gather that you are more than capable to acquire such funds."

"Acceptable. Is that all?"

"No. Alchemic reagents can be hard to come by; few are properly trained to gain them. Rare reagents are even harder to gather."

"Out with it, Man! What is it that you want."

"A simple vial of your blood." Now Kain was starting to look skeptical.

"What for?"

"You vampires are powerful and take up a great deal of the land. We may as well learn from you. Your blood could prove to be vastly important to the apothecary society." Kain could see some truth to the subject but felt slightly uncomfortable. Humans that knew magic were known to have concerning spells dealing with blood magic, "But remember, as per our compromise. I only get my payment once I fulfill my half of the deal. So, I don't heal them and I don't get paid. You really have very little to lose, Master Vampire." Thulmyth smiled and Kain thought it over for a few moment.

"It seems like an honest trade." He glared down at the human slightly, "I will take your compromise." Kain replied in a businesslike manner. A look of relief entered Thulmyth's eyes and he clapped his hands together.

"Wonderful! I shall gather my things so that we may be off!"

_V_

Raziel suffered from the curse of vanity and he knew it. In actuality, everyone knew it; Kain, his brothers, the human slaves: everyone. As the best looking of Kain's children, Raziel always kept himself looking his grandest and loved to be the center of attention. He was always impressive at everything and worked to be what the others talked about.

The day of his execution had been one of his greatest moments of vanity. He had had the slaves make him look his grandest so that he may show off his newly acquired wings to the full extent of their wonder.

This had been a wasted effort. His sire had torn the glory of his wings from him before he had been able to fully show off their splendor. In the time that had followed the loss of his wings and the horrific ruination of his beautiful body, his sense of vanity started to deteriorate into hate for his new disfigured form. The constant manipulation and talk of saviors caused him to despise even being mentioned. He wanted only to be himself and slip into seclusion, away from the prying eyes and sharp tongues of other creatures. He only wished to be seen as a person once more rather than a pawn to be shoved about a chess board. To be normal and not have the fate of the world constantly pushed onto his shoulders. To be treated normal and to have normal relations with others.

He had come so close upon his meeting Janos Audron. Despite the Ancient's passionate talk of saviors, Raziel has felt welcome and at ease. The old vampire's soft demeanor and gentle voice had made him feel safe and loved, even if only for a small while. Yet once more, his happiness was stolen from him. Dying in his arms with the friend he had come to love in such a short time.

Since then, Raziel had learned to find occasional oases of happiness in the desert of despair he was still plagued with; though none matched the feeling he had felt in Janos' pleasant presence. Even his sense of vanity appeared rarely with the return of his sleek figure. Though, despite all this supposed healing, he still felt it emotionally draining to be the center of attention. He found that he now hated to be the topic no matter the subject.

Perhaps this was what was making his meeting these new humans so easy. They cared for his body, healing it and cleaning it. Yet, they only made him the subject of conversation if it was about his health. It seemed being Kain's supposed servant had some perks as it made them not want to know details about his life since he was obviously one of Kain's favored servants and they really rather not know the reasoning behind that. Though, the title still heated his blood; his anger only making the pain in his throbbing head worse. He supposed he could masquerade as Kain's puppet once again since he practically was anyways.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, fighting back the nausea boiling in his stomach. He began to wonder if the bile crawling up the back of his throat was from the illness or the fact that he was once again beneath foot. The revolting need to retch was accompanied by stabbing pains to his temples and an agonizing tightening of the lungs.

He needed direly to relax and stop thinking about how much he despised his new freedom. His mind required an out; perhaps this woman next to him was the answer. Her voice was soft but broke at strange moments, causing her pitch to rise or fall randomly. He began to find himself wondering what had happened to cause it. As he listened to her, her voice randomly changing volume, and he found that her stories were quite soothing to a damaged mind.

As of now, the woman sat in bed with him, simply telling him her life story. Her voice was soothing to his fever frazzled mind. The softness made him drowsy and actually want to embrace slumber.

"Raziel, if you do not drink your broth, it'll get cold and you won't want to eat it." Shianna's gentle voice and tender touch against his arm drew him from his thoughts once more. He blinked slowly at her and she only smiled, pointing to the broth waiting in the bowl Raziel was holding. He stared down at the weak liquid and sighed, taking a spoonful and grimacing. The taste was bland but still not too his liking. He was beginning to wonder what it was that his sense of taste was longing for; it rejected everything he ate or drank.

Shianna smiled softly, she had been becoming more comfortable around him since he had woken up this time around. She had realized that he was not a vile monster like his master but also wasn't a mindless slave, this made it easier for her to connect with him.

"My thanks. Please, carry on." He took another sip of broth as the woman began speaking once more. It was not unnatural for Raziel to feel no remorse that he could recall little to nothing of what she has said previous to this point; he was just glad to not be the topic.

He still found it hard to be stuck with fellow humans but the relative cleanliness of these two made it more tolerable. Though, he kept his talking to a minimum due to the fact that these two seemed like they wouldn't be the source of stimulating conversation. Their educational level seemed to be lacking around things that didn't concern their trades. He dreaded to think that the only person he'd be able to have a somewhat satisfying conversation with might be Kain.

Her story suddenly started to take a sadder turn, catching his attention. Her voice grew tight and tears started to moisten her eyes. Her hands folding in her lap, her fingers fidgeting together.

"I-I was married once; as is the hope of all young girls. I was very much in love with the man that had offered to marry me." Raziel wondered why this detail was important, he could not remember what romantic love felt like, "He was an incredibly handsome noble with a good fortune. I was a lowly maid, working in my brother's glass making shop. He came to the shop one time and saw me working. He said it was love at first sight." She took a small breath, trying to calm the ache in her throat from holding back tears. Her fingers twisted together and Raziel could see her body tense as she continued.

"A few days after that, he began to court me. The next three months were the best of my life. I thought I couldn't be happier until he asked me to marry him. I terrified him and my brother because I fainted from joy." She laughed sadly, "The wedding was beautiful and the wedding night was like a dream. We were so happy for the first year of our marriage; I had never been so in love as I was then…" Her eyes dulled slightly as she trailed off. Raziel blinked slowly at her, unsure of what was wrong.

"What happened?"

"… W-we found out …" Now Raziel was very confused, this woman was making little sense currently. Stuffing down the urge to tell her to spit it out, he gently inquired.

"Found out what, Miss?" The woman flinched, as if the question had physically hurt her. She closed her eyes, tears starting to cling to her eyelashes as she continued.

"W-we found out that I-I am unable to b-bear children …" A sob was pulled from her throat as her tears fell. Raziel felt conflicted as he was unsure how to feel for her. Having been a sterile being for over a thousand years with no need for mating to produce offspring of sorts, he was not entirely sure how strongly he should feel about this news. He had a feeling it should be greater than he was actually feeling. He knew that females had a high maternal need and instinct, the females of his clan had shown this by caring for and teaching the new fledglings since they could not have children of their own, "I-I told him that we could adopt, there were plenty of children's homes with needy children. But he would not listen; he said he would never give fortune to a filthy waif. He grew angry that he had wasted his time on a w-worthless woman. I-in a fit of rage, he started to strangle me; damaging my throat. He realized what he was doing and dropped me to the floor before he could kill me. He took my things away and threw me out of the house. I slept with the dogs until he annulled our marriage the next day. I slunk back to my brother, who accepted me once more and I've been here ever since …"

_By the time she had finished her story, a strange sense of anger had welled within me. I felt great indignation at the conclusion. How could any man throw away a woman like this? I know that human males depend highly upon having an heir but why not simply adopt like she had suggested? Is not any male child appropriate? With training, you can turn a gullible child into what you want them to be. An heir does not seem like such a thing it'd be such a difficult thing to find. Perhaps I need to look at this from a human's point of view, but that is tiresomely difficult and the males are foolish. _

Raziel absentmindedly stirred his broth. Human instinct told him that he should comfort the upset female but he was unsure on just how to go about that. He swallowed slightly and looked over at her as she weakly wiped her eyes.

_Where it is true that a sterile woman is not good breeding stock, she can easily have other uses. Although not entirely educated, she speaks well and is smarter than an average of someone from her social class. She mentioned that he brother trained under an apothecary, it would make sense that he'd share some of his higher education with her seeing as they're so close. _

_She is far from holding a stimulating conversation but she is more tolerable than a great deal of other humans I have come across. Along with her somewhat educated mind, she again like her brother is physically strong with a strong work ethic. She can easily pull her weight in the working field. This seems to be rare in human females and should be a highly coveted attribute. _

_It is these things that should make a female attractive alongside her beauty. Which makes me beg the question, why are human males so selective about certain attributes? They pass up great potential by simply going for beauty and the ability to bare children._

"I-I'm so s-sorry…" Shianna sniffled and pawed at her eyes weakly, "I-I had not meant to bother with my own trials." She cleaned her face as best she could but her cheeks and eyes were still red. Raziel fidgeted slightly but shook his head.

"No, it is quite alright." The woman smiled weakly at his words before slowly moving to get off the bed, "Where are you going, Miss?"

"I-I've been sitting here far too long, Sir. I-I must get back to helping my brother." She slipped off the bed and straightened out her old dress. She turned back to look at him and smiled softly as she gently took his hand, "Please, call me Shianna, Sir." Raziel could not say that he was surprised at how tender and polite she was but he had to admit he rather enjoyed the respect. But, despite how nice respect was, he rather have it mixed a sense of equality.

"Please, Miss Shianna, just call me Raziel."

_V_

Jameh's clenched fist came down harshly upon the hardwood table before him. The thick wood splintered under the impact, cracks of unease ripped through the surrounding area. The abused piece of furniture creaked in protest as he leaned on it to glare to his men.

His angry sent shivers through the men standing just beyond the table. The men swallowed slightly and quivered as they tried to stand at attention. Gin and Rinth stood at the front of the table, their hands fidgeting slightly as they waited. They were well aware they had failed him and feared his punishment.

"Sir, not all is lost. You saw, the human was too weak to tell its master. Our plan is safe." Rinth whispered feebly as he fidgeted with his tunic's hem. Jameh raised his head to look at them, brown eyes glaring into the smaller man's.

"Are you blind as well as foolish, Rinth?" He asked mockingly through gritted teeth. He gently pushed off from the table to stand up straight as the apothecary blinked in confusion. Jameh slowly stalked around the table towards them.

"Sir?" Both Rinth and Gin asked softly.

"You're both blind?!" He snarled at them, grabbing them by the collars of their tunics, "Did you not see the great deal of care that vampire showed when handling that human? That human is special to him and he'll stop at nothing to care for it!" He huffed and shoved them backwards as he released them. He turned around and started to pace.

"That vampire is strong and if he gets the information, our plans are ruined." He stopped and rolled his shoulders back, "we have to act now! It is time unleash our counterstrike against the vampires."


End file.
